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Several missed deadlines later, the venues of the Commonwealth Games are now completely ready, said Organising Committee Chairman Suresh Kalmadi, claiming that the preparedness is such that events can now be held at the stadiums on an hour's notice.

Kalmadi brushed aside concerns about leaking roofs and waterlogging at the stadiums' gates and declared competition venues ready for the October 3 to 14 event.

"We can host events within an hour (at the stadiums). We have built the stadiums, keeping athletes in mind," Kalmadi said.

Talking about the Thyagaraj Stadium, which will host the netball competition, Kalmadi said, "We have one of the greenest stadium in the world. There were grave apprehensions here, rain and all but everything is ready and we are set to hold a very good event."

On the concerns about a dengue fever outbreak, the under-fire OC chairman said step are being taken to deal with the problem.

"Lots of issues are there things like dengue, but we are taking effective steps, the floods are receding and we will have great games," he said.

The event which will have an international broadcast will be witnessed by three million, including the US, and will have all the best athletes coming.

The kitchen trial at the Games Village will start tomorrow and it will be opened by September 23.

"Asian and Continental are some of the top-class cuisines that will be served," Kalmadi said.

However, there was still some work to be done at the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Swimming complex, which has a seating capacity for 5000 people with a 10-lane pool.

But Competition Manager for the swimming event Kamlesh Nanavati assured that everything, including the scoreboard, would be in place by next week.

"By September 20 everything will be in order," said Nanavati.

Squash court in the Siri Fort sports complex had a four-sided glass court.

"This has automatic movable side walls that can convert from a doubles to a singles court," said Manan Mashruwala, competition manager for the event.

Talkatora stadium for boxing boasts of security with CCTV set ups and an anti doping centre with urine processing and blood processing systems for conducting the dope tests.

Trial for Games lanes during peak hours from tomorrow

Brace up for traffic troubles for the next two days as the city police will be conducting trials on lanes reserved for Commonwealth Games during the morning and evening rush hours.

While the trials on four stretches will be held between 4 PM and 6 PM on Monday, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Satyendra Garg said, it will be held on Tuesday in the morning between 8 AM and 10 AM.

Traffic personnel are warning that there could also be jams on arterial roads which fall on the stretch.

The trials on several stretches this month had thrown the traffic out of gear. Police had conducted trials on five days this month.

"Earlier the trials were conducted for a period of three hours beginning 11 AM. Now we want to know its impact during the peak hours," a senior police official said.

The trials are meant to familiarise commuters about the pattern of traffic movement during the Games, he said.

The exclusive lanes for Games will come into effect from September 20 and those straying into these lanes will be penalised Rs 2,000 and their vehicles will be impounded.

A notification to this effect has been issued by Lieutenant Governor's office.

"Traffic Police has made elaborate arrangements for smooth movement of Commonwealth Games related traffic during the event," the official said.

Initially, the restrictions on Games lanes will be operational during night time only as international flights carrying athletes are scheduled during those hours.

Though the route from Games Village to competition venues and airport will have a dedicated lane, there will be no such facility for practice venues.

The lane may be thrown open for public when no Games vehicle is scheduled to use it, the official said.

Public has been advised to avoid as far as possible CWG lanes in general and Safdurjung Road, Kamal Ataturk Marg, Panchsheel Marg, Sardar Patel Marg, Siri Fort Road, Harsukh Marg, Purana Qila Road and Mother Teresa Crescent Road in particular as these roads are having two lanes in one carriageway and one lane has already been reserved for Games-related traffic.

Gill misleading nation on CWG prize money: Malhotra

President of General Association of National Sports Federations V K Malhotra on Sunday launched another verbal attack on Sports Minister M S Gill, saying that his claims of doubling the prize money for Commonwealth and Asian Games medal winners are "totally misleading".

"Mr Gill has announced that in the coming Commonwealth Games and Asian Games medal winners will get Rs 20 lakh for Gold, Rs 10 lakh for Silver and Rs 6 lakh for bronze medal. In 2002 Commonwealth Games and Asian Games prize money given to gold, silver and bronze medal winner was 20 lakh, 10 lakh and 6 lakh respectively. Now after eight years to maintain the prize money at the same level of 2002 is ridiculous," Malhotra said.

"In between Pay Commission has increased the pay scale of Government servants by 300 per cent. Pay of Member of Parliaments (MPs) and pension to Ex MPs has also gone up by three times. Price index has also gone up and cost of most of the items has also gone up by 300 per cent. By keeping the prize money at that of the year 2002 and taking pride in that, is laughable," he added.

Malhotra said he has written to both the Prime Minister and Sports Minister asking that the prize money to be given to the medal winners of this year's Commonwealth and Asian Games should be "at least 2.5 times the amount given in the 2002 Games."

"The government has spent Rs 900 crore on the beautification/uglification of Connaught Place, about Rs 1000 crore for renovation of Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium and hundreds of crore on improvement of footpaths but to keep prize money to medal winners to Rs 5 to 7 crore is atrocious," he said.

"The government is following 'penny wise pound foolish' policy. I will again request the Prime Minister as suggested earlier to enhance the prize money for Commonwealth & Asian Games to Rs 50 lakh for Gold, Rs 30 lakh for Silver and Rs 20 lakh for Bronze medal winners," Malhotra said.

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